2023 Toyota Sequoia vs 2024 Toyota Sienna

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia was a striking presence on the road, with its bold design inspired by the Toyota Tundra pickup truck. The SUV's exterior featured a traditional grille and front bumper, which distinguished it from the Tundra's more unconventional look. Inside, the Sequoia shared many design elements with the Tundra, offering an industrial yet upscale feel, especially in the Capstone trim. This top-tier version boasted a luxurious cream white-over-black two-tone interior, dominated by a massive 14-inch infotainment system. However, despite its high-end appearance, some materials reminded drivers of its pickup truck origins.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna, available in LE, XLE, XSE, and Limited trims, offered a distinctive and stylish look, rivaling competitors like the Kia Carnival. The minivan featured sleek front and rear fascias and came in vibrant colours such as deep blue, red, and bronze. LED lighting was standard, with upper trims benefiting from Bi-LED projector headlamps. The XSE trim, known for its sporty appeal, included a black metallic mesh front grille, black heated side mirrors, and 20-inch dark wheels. Inside, the Sienna provided a spacious and practical environment, with cloth seats, three-zone climate control, and room for eight passengers. The XSE trim replaced the second-row bench with captain's chairs, adding a touch of luxury with leatherette-trimmed sport seats and a heated, leather-trimmed power steering wheel.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia was equipped with a powerful hybrid powertrain, featuring a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 engine, a 10-speed automatic transmission, a 36-kilowatt electric motor/generator, and a 1.87 kilowatt-hour nickel-metal hydride battery pack. This setup delivered an impressive 437 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 583 pound-feet of torque at 2,400 rpm. The Sequoia's towing capacity was significantly improved, with a maximum tow rating of 4,137 kilograms in Canada. Fuel efficiency also saw a boost, with a combined rating of 11.7 L/100 km in 4WD mode. The Sequoia offered various driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport+, allowing drivers to tailor the driving experience to their preferences. However, the regenerative braking system could feel unresponsive, and the steering was slow, requiring effort in tight spaces.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna, a hybrid minivan, combined a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with two electric motors, producing a total of 245 horsepower. While not designed for high-performance driving, the Sienna offered a smooth and comfortable ride, especially in Normal or Eco mode. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) contributed to a sluggish feel, particularly during highway merging or uphill climbs. The Sienna's brakes were occasionally grabby, but the steering was light and accurate, making it easy to maneuver in urban settings. Visibility was excellent, and the minivan provided a mostly pleasant driving experience, though it lacked the excitement of some competitors.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia excelled on open roads, offering a comfortable and quiet cabin with features like soft leather upholstery, a JBL premium audio system, and a triple-zone climate control system. The Sequoia's interior was spacious, with power-deploying running boards for easier access. However, the third-row seating was less comfortable due to the high floor and low roof, and cargo space was limited compared to previous models. The Sequoia's hybrid powertrain compromised overall utility, with a maximum cargo capacity of 2,460 litres, significantly less than its rivals.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna provided a practical and spacious interior, with a lower storage pass-through for bulkier items and multiple cupholders throughout the cabin. The second-row captain's chairs could slide fore and aft, offering up to 101.5 centimetres of legroom. However, the seats couldn't be removed, limiting maximum cargo space. The third-row seats were easy to access and offered ample legroom, with the ability to tilt for added comfort. The Sienna's rear liftgate revealed 949 litres of cargo space, expandable to 2,860 litres with the second row folded.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia featured a new Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system, with a 14-inch touchscreen in most trims. The system was intuitive and included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Capstone trim offered additional tech features like a 10-inch head-up display and a surround-view camera system. However, the system occasionally experienced glitches, and the display suffered from glare.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna retained Toyota's older infotainment technology, with a nine-inch touchscreen and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While the system included physical buttons for common menus, the backup camera's grainy view was disappointing. The Sienna offered available features like SiriusXM satellite radio, a 12-speaker JBL stereo system, and a rear-camera mirror. USB ports were plentiful, and a 1500-watt inverter with a 120-volt outlet was available for added convenience.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia came standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, which included features like forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. Additional safety features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and parking sensors with automatic braking. While crash test ratings were not available, the Sequoia's platform shared high ratings with the Tundra.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna also featured Toyota Safety Sense, with lane departure alert, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. The Sienna included side curtain airbags for all three rows and reminders for rear passengers. The NHTSA rated the Sienna with four out of five stars for frontal crash and rollover protection and five stars for side crash protection. The IIHS awarded the Sienna top scores in crashworthiness, though front crash prevention was rated as "Average."